-To learn the different stages through HIV progresses in the body
- To learn the different signs of HIV in women as compared to mean and also how HIV positive mothers can pass on this virus to their children

Notes

Introduction
Lorna went to this village to continue with the topic a Women and HIV/AIDS before introducing the new topic Disease Progression.
Overview
Lorna started by reviewing the previous topics before proceeding to teach what she had planned for the day. Lorna was asking the community members questions from the previous topics to see if they remembered anything she has been teaching them. Some were able to answer although some told Lorna that they had forgotten. Lorna thanked those who remembered and urged the rest to not forget what is taught but put everything in practice. Lorna went on and continued with the topic of the day the ways through which an HIV positive mother can pass on HIV to their children. One lady mentioned though birth and Lorna asked how. They said that for example when they are cutting the umbilical cord of the mother and the child their blood can get into contact hence transmitting the virus. Another way they mentioned was through breastmilk. Lorna agreed and said yes Breast milk contains HIV and a mother is supposed to breast feed exclusively for 6 months. Lorna however said recently WHO is saying that HIV positive mothers can breastfeed for 1year but without mixed feeding. Lorna then asked what other ways one old woman mentioned during pregnancy. Lorna said yes this can happen in labor. After this Lorna went on and introduced a new topic Disease Progression and positive behavior. Lorna took the community through the different stages through which HIV progresses in the body. They looked at ;
1. The window period. Here is the time it takes for a person to develop enough anti bodies to turn up positive. A person should test within a period of 6 months. Therefore she advised that when one is told that they are negative but should return in the time period given, they should go back and during this period of waiting, they should protect their lives.
2. Incubation period. This is the time it takes for HIV symptoms to show up in ones body who is HIV positive. This can take up to 15 years or even more. This is the time when one is most infectious.
3. Honeymoon-period. This is period where the body and the virus are living in harmony with the body. In this period the chances of one passing the virus to another person is very minimal and also a breastfeeding mothers chance of passing on the virus to the baby is also minimal. Lorna asked if there were any questions and one person asked that how come that in couples one person can have HIV while the other does not. Lorna reviewed the different ways one can contract HIV and they mentioned the different ways : having sex with an infected person, sharing sharp instruments, having multiple partners and having unsafe sex. Lorna then asked if it was possible for one to be born with HIV and they said yes. Lorna went through all of this to let the community know that these could be some of the causes of that. Lorna also asked if they have both gone through the different tests and the required number of times and one is negative then it is true they are negative and such couples also usually know each other’s status and have agreed to live together. Another one said they have also heard that it was possible for married couples where one is negative and the other is positive and they get to have negative children was this possible?. Lorna said yes this was possible and that if one visited a health facility they would advice them accordingly but Lorna said there were some medication that is given to the negative partner known as PEP which should be taken daily while they were being monitored and they will be advised accordingly by the medical personnel.
Conclusion
Because of time they did not look at the positive behaviors but Lorna will start from here next year. Lorna also concluded by encouraging the members to always meet up and discuss issues that will build them up and not only wait when Lorna is in the village or when any other Non profit comes into their village but that they should be proactive. She encouraged them to come up with different developmental ideas. The community members were very attentive and thanked Lorna for the friendship created with them. Lorna wished them a merry Christmas and a happy new year and mentioned to them that in the next year, they will be two of them and she told them that her other college is called Manuela and both of them teach in this Life Skills Education and Counseling program.